Arianna Padilla
Photos by Angela Subido

The sixth annual Pardall Carnival — held by the Isla Vista Community Relations Committee — provided a place for the Isla Vista community to enjoy games, activities, music, and food on Saturday, October 3. The carnival included 60 different tables of free activities, along with street performers and a Ferris wheel located in front of Silvergreens.

According to Ruth Garcia Guevara, an IVCRC adviser, the first Pardall Carnival was held in 2009 as a way to highlight the newly redone Pardall Road as well as promote the local businesses. Since then, the carnival has been running successfully for six years. With approximately 1,800 RSVPs on Facebook, the attendance this year was well around 2,000 community members.

IVCRC is a student organization focused on promoting and bringing together the Isla Vista community, through hosting events and programs such as Pardall Carnival. IVCRC provides funding for on-campus and off-campus programs that help improve, educate, or promote Isla Vista as a whole. COSWB, Isla Vista Food Co-op, Environmental Affairs Board, Sweet Jane, I.V. Drip, Pho Bistro, and Equilibrium are some of the known supporters of IVCRC, many of which had booths set up at the carnival. Additionally, in the spring, IVCRC hosts Chilla Vista, an environmentally friendly festival that features two concert stages as well as local vendors.

IVCRC External Chair Aimee Hanna stated that the main purpose for the Pardall Carnival was to bring about a sense of community within Isla Vista and recognition to the local companies. This year’s carnival was definitely successful in doing that. Although there was a large number of recognizable University of California, Santa Barbara students at the carnival, a significant portion of the attendees were families and non-student Isla Vista residents.

By holding the carnival in the heart of Isla Vista, attendees were surrounded by restaurants such as Blaze Pizza, Silvergreens, Blenders, IV Deli Mart, and Coffee Collaborative. Thus, the carnival helped to draw in more customers to these businesses. Since the carnival was completely free, a diverse group of individuals were able to attend. From college students to parents to children 10-years-old and younger, Pardall Carnival brought together people from all over Isla Vista.

With 60 tables and approximately four hours of carnival, there was plenty of opportunity to learn and interact with the organizations that stem from the community. Some of the programs that were present at the carnival were UCSB Health and Wellness, AS Bike Committee, AS Commission on Student Well-Being (COSWB), AS Food Bank, Isla Vista Food Co-op, and the Environmental Affairs Board, as well as many other local organizations. Each organization provided information on what they do, along with either an activity or goodies to entertain the viewer. From spin the wheel, to bean bag toss, to bra pong; a fabulous array of games and activities were presented and enjoyed on Saturday.